Says Deane Biermeier, a former general contractor and member of The Spruce’s Home Improvement Review Board: “All of my caulk guns are light in terms of weight, and have varying thrust ratios from 10:1 to 20:1. The low weight helps to keep fatigue at a minimum. I use the low ratio gun for general use like filling gaps or sealing plumbing fixtures. The higher ratio gun, I use for thick adhesives or cold tubes of caulk.” We evaluated caulk guns based on durability, ease of use, effectiveness, “drip-free” performance, and value. Our top choice, the Newborn 250 Smooth Rod Revolving Frame Caulk Gun, gives superior results when caulking around corners and edges, and has a fairly high thrust ratio for use with thicker products. Here are the best caulk guns available online. The Newborn 250 has a revolving frame that makes it easy to caulk smoothly around corners without having to lift and reposition the caulk gun. The smooth pressure rod applies force at an 18:1 thrust ratio, making this a suitable caulk gun for use with fairly thick sealants, including silicone, construction adhesives, and polyurethane. The handle and trigger are made of a zinc alloy, so they won’t corrode or break easily, and it doesn’t take too much pressure to get the caulk flowing smoothly from the gun. This isn’t a truly dripless caulk gun, as you need to depress a thumb-release tab to stop the caulk from flowing, but it’s a caulk gun with superior performance and durability. And unlike some other high-ratio caulk guns, this one has a built-in spout cutter and seal puncture tool, so you won’t need other tools to open the tube of caulk. There’s also a ladder hook so you can hang the caulk gun nearby when working up high. Price at time of publish: $26 While this might not be the sturdiest gun, it’s not so flimsy that it can’t get the job done. And like more expensive models, it has a built-in spout cutter and tube piercer. There’s no hanging hook, however, and the frame is not revolving, so you’ll need to lift the gun and reposition to caulk around corners. Price at time of publish: $10 The gun has a 360-degree rotating barrel, allowing you to work with precision in tight spots, such as behind toilets and tubs. Its ergonomic grip is easy on your hands, which is a major bonus on lengthy projects. There’s a hanging hook and a built-in tube piercer, but no spout cutter. Still, this professional-quality caulk gun is a worthy addition to your toolbox if you are facing a tough project. Price at time of publish: $26 Thanks to its revolving frame, you can easily caulk around corners with this tool, and when you release pressure on the trigger, the caulk stops flowing for nearly dripless performance. There’s a built-in tube piercer and spout cutter for convenience, as well as a hanging hook. All in all, this caulk gun is an excellent choice whether you are facing your first caulking project or your hundredth. Price at time of publish: $18 You can use this caulk gun with just about any sealant from thick to thin, merely by adjusting the flow rate and speed. It has a swiveling frame to make it easier when caulking around corners. There’s even a built-in worklight to illuminate your path, helping you remain accurate as you lay down the caulk. This gun works with the typical 10.1-ounce tubes of caulk or with sausage-packed caulk. It has a tube piercer and a hanging hook, but does not have a spout cutter. Price at time of publish: $199 The gun has strong steel construction with an ergonomic, rubberized handle that’s much easier on your hands than many other models. The dripless design cuts down on mess, although it drips a little more on the 24:1 setting than the 12:1 setting. Still, this is a very useful addition to your tool collection if you expect to be doing a lot of caulking around your home. Price at time of publish: $40 The tool is designed to apply pressure smoothly without slipping or tangling in the sausage pack wrapping. The grips are comfortable to hold, even if your hands are small or not too strong. And the gun comes with six nozzles in different sizes so you can adjust to the viscosity of your sealant. Price at time of publish: $54 The gun has a swiveling barrel for easy use around corners or in tight spots, and it’s close to drip-free once you release the trigger. There’s a hanging hook and tube piercer, but this tool does not have a built-in spout cutter. But while excellent with thick materials, it might not be the best choice if you are working with thin sealants or caulk. Price at time of publish: $28 But that’s not the only benefit of this tool. It has a 12:1 thrust ratio that works with acrylic, latex, silicone, and polyurethane sealants, and it’s very easy to load and unload the tubes or sausages of the caulk. The dripless design prevents a mess, and once the job is finished, the gun easily fits in your toolbox. Price at time of publish: $30 The dripless gun has a 10:1 thrust ratio which is ideal for thinner sealants, such as latex or silicone. The tool’s performance is very smooth, with an easily adjusted rod and pressure release after each squeeze to prevent caulk dripping from the front of the gun. And its strong steel frame will last for job after job after job. It even has a built-in spout cutter for convenience. Price at time of publish: $12 These devices are simple in function: They hold the tube steady and multiply the pressure applied to the tube to make it easier for you to apply caulk in a precise line without too much fatigue. There are a lot of caulk guns on the market, but knowing the basics of what to look for will help you choose the right one for your projects.
Power Source
The majority of caulk guns are manual, requiring your own muscle power to push the plunger rod against the tube of caulk. However, battery-powered caulk guns are becoming more popular, especially for those facing big projects, people who need to caulk frequently, or people with weak hands. There are also pneumatic, or air-powered, caulk guns, but these are not often used by homeowners or DIYers. The pros of a manual caulk gun include lower price, lighter weight, and unlimited use time. On the downside, you’ll need to squeeze steadily while using the tool, which can be tiring to your hands and wrists. The main pro of a battery-powered caulk gun is that it does the squeezing for you, making the admittedly somewhat tedious task easier on your hands. On the downside, however, these tools are far more expensive than their manual counterparts, the battery adds quite a bit of weight, and you’ll need to recharge the battery periodically, typically after two or three hours.
Thrust Ratio
One very important factor to consider when choosing a caulk gun is its thrust ratio. This number refers to how much the tool will multiply the pressure you apply while pushing on the rod. The most common thrust ratio is 10:1, which means that for every 1 pound of pressure you exert while squeezing the trigger, 10 pounds of pressure are applied against the tube of caulk to squeeze out its contents. As a general rule, the thicker the caulk, the higher the thrust ratio required to easily squeeze it from the tube. There are caulk guns with ratios as low as 3:1, which are only suited for the thinnest sealants, and caulk guns with thrust ratios as high as 28:1, which are best suited to very thick sealants such as those used in construction. For most typical DIYers facing a home caulking project, a gun with a 10:1 or 12:1 ratio is sufficient, but if you are working with a thick sealant, then go higher. Note that thrust ratio only applies to manual caulk guns. The measurement is not used for electric or battery-powered guns.
Rod Type
A caulk gun is basically a frame that holds the tube of caulk securely with a trigger that’s pulled by the user to drive a rod against the tube, thus pressing out the caulk. There are two basic types of rods on caulk guns. Ratcheting rods are usually lower ratio tools, and have small “teeth” on the rod that squeeze out a set amount of caulk. You need to release the trigger between each squeeze and slightly pull back on the rod to stop the caulk from leaking out of the gun. This is the most basic type of caulk gun, and the least expensive, but is somewhat less popular now that dripless guns are so available. Smooth, or “dripless” rods come in higher ratios than ratcheting rods. With these guns, once you release the pressure on the trigger, the rod stops pushing out the caulk, thus eliminating—at least somewhat—the problem of unwanted caulking material dripping out of the gun.
Caulk Form
Almost all caulk comes in a tube, and the vast majority of caulk guns are designed to work with these tubes, which typically hold 10 ounces of sealant. There are caulk guns designed to work with larger tubes of sealant, but these are most often used by professionals on construction job sites. However, you’ll find some caulk guns referred to as “sausage” guns. These tools hold caulk that comes in a sausage-shaped packet, rather than a tube. While not as commonly used by DIYers, sausage-packed caulks do have some advantages, including less wasted caulk, less packaging to dispose of, and longer shelf life for the sealant. Typically, waterproofing sealants are sold in sausage packaging.
Frame Type
There are two common frame types for caulk guns. Open-framed tools are much lighter, but may not be as durable. Closed-frame tools are likelier to last, but do weigh a little bit more. Another frame type that is helpful, but will add to the cost of your tool, is a revolving frame. This makes it much easier to run a smooth, accurate line of caulk around corners without having to stop and readjust the position of the caulk gun and your hand.
Why Trust The Spruce?
Michelle Ullman is the home improvement/tool expert for The Spruce. She has extensive experience not only in writing about all things related to the home, but also in carrying out various DIY projects, including landscaping, painting, flooring, wallpapering, furniture makeovers, and simple repairs around the house and yard.
If your gun is a dripless model, you should be able to pull the rod back by hand. If you are using a ratcheting gun, then you’ll need to rotate the rod so the “teeth” are facing up before you’ll be able to pull the rod back. Once you are ready to push the rod forward again, you’ll need to rotate it so the teeth are facing downward. For this roundup, she considered dozens of caulk guns, evaluating each for effectiveness, ease of use, and overall performance, as well as value. She also considered feedback from customers, both positive and negative, and received further input and advice from The Spruce Home Improvement Review Board member Deane Biermeier.
